My Suffering can have good Effects. April 5, 2017

Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

(Luke 23:11-12)

Herod, frustrated by Jesus' silence, lower himself to join the troops in mocking this phony king. But...he also had to deal with Pilate who had already said he thought Jesus was innocent. Pilate had made a friendly gesture by asking his opinion on the matter. Herod knew what the chief priests and scribes wanted.. but what Pilate wanted was more important. So he dresses Jesus, not in the garb of a condemned prisoner, but as a respectable person, and through this gesture concurs in Pilate's judgment.

"Herod and Pilate became friends that very day." Now that's interesting. Once again Luke teaches us about Jesus the healer. He healed the ear of the servant at the arrest.. he healed Peter's soul when Peter denied him..and now, of all things, he heals the relationship between Herod and Pilate.

His suffering and death are already producing results. Here is the hard part" To believe that my suffering can have good effects. Surprising ones. Talk to One who knows.